Friday Email Bag

Each Friday I publish your comments and answer your questions. To submit a comment or questions please email me at [email protected]

Mickey,

First things first Good Morning and thank you for keeping us the fans updated on things in tiger nation. I have a lot of questions so let me get started: First, I know that a lot of people are calling for
Jack LeggettJack LeggettBaseball Head CoachView Full Profile
head for the way that the baseball team has done the last two years or so.. But when I as a fan watch the team play it seems that ether we need better hitter or a better hitting coach…. I just seems that we don’t have those 3-4 big hitters on the team like we did from 2008-2011 each year. Do you agree with this?? Do you think that some of the staff needs to go or is it recruiting?

Next is the basketball team I like coach Brownell, but what is going on with all these transfers? Why doesn’t playing in the ACC help are B-Ball recruiting? Do you think the team is going to be able to win with all the ACC anytime soon?

Football, what’s the news on Dye’s return? I have been reading preseason articles why is Georgia, South Carolina and Florida State ranked higher than us in the preseason polls when the all lost a lot too? Do you think are secondary is ever going to get back being as good or better than the days when we had Miller, Hill, Clemson sans other back their? Side note I am glad that Dabo has got the team now wearing the all purple for one game ever year, that’s great. There is no place like Saturday’s in Death Valley….. BEAT Georgia and BEAT South Carolina (Time to end this madness) !!!!!!!!

GT

GT,

Thanks for the kind words. Yes, the offense has been an issue at times but so has the pitching and the defense and the base running and the fundamentals. I think both full time assistant coaches do a good job but am not close enough to the program to know the main issues. I do know both would not have a problem getting a job if things went bad here.

Transfers in basketball are seen throughout college basketball not just Clemson. In fact Clemson got a terrific transfer this year too. This is the culture with players now. They think its easier to transfer than to stick it out and wait your turn.

Winning the ACC in basketball is a tall task. This conference is tough and about to get tougher with Louisville coming in. I think it is a lot to ask to win the league anytime soon.

Dye is working at rehab but I doubt he will be 100% when camp opens. I think he might be close to that in mid-season.

FSU is the best team in the country again this year. They lost a lot but have recruited extremely well. Georgia has a lot of talent of offense including a dynamic backfield. South Carolina has a bunch of returning starters on offense including a terrific back and a highly thought of offensive line.

I think Clemson's secondary will be better this year and excellent in 2015. Alexander and Kearse look like stars for the future.

I like the special uniforms once a year also.

MP

I take issue and disagree with your last paragraph in today's blog.

"Finally, because we do have to have home games I am fine with one of our games being against an FCS opponent then I like playing the in-state teams. I see nothing wrong with playing The Citadel, SC State, Coastal, Wofford, Furman, Charleston Southern, etc. It helps them and I would rather play against them than I would against a team like Texas State."

Clemson fans are not interested in these cupcake games. They are boring. They do little for the program except to allow numerous substitutions. They are more of a scrimmage. They do help the pocketbook of these opposing schools. The fans from these schools don't even bother to travel to a nice venue like Clemson and DV. I think the scheduling gurus at Clemson should de-emphasize these games and develop new rivalries. You could not call any of these instate opponents a genuine rivalry. Take a look at the stadium beginning the game, halftime, and the 4th quarter. At the end of the day both the fans and the program get cheated.

William

William,

Clemson fans may not be interested in those games but that is the way it has to be. They need to play seven home games and that means one school will have to come to Clemson without a return trip in a home and home series. Sorry but economics mean seven home games are a must. That will not change.

Mickey,

I hope all is well for you. In your blog today, "OOC Scheduling" you said, "If it is determined that a tougher strength of schedule increases your chances at access to the four-team playoffs, Clemson has several options available in the region."

The relationship between being selected as a playoff team and not being selected might not be as simple as going 12-0 against an easy schedule versus going 11-1, but losing to a highly ranked team like FSU or Georgia. It might take a few years for schools to figure out what scheduling "formula" works.

Hope you and Ryan have a chance for a fun trip together.

Kindest Regards,

Kirk

Kirk,

Thanks. Think most schools will be reactionary to scheduling. At this point we don't know the criteria and when we know more, teams will schedule accordingly.

Mickey….

My brother grew up Clemson and respects a lot of the Clemson traditions. However (foolish is is foolish does) he wound up getting his degree from USC and then went on to get his law degree from there. We spent some time together last week and in our discussions, he mentioned that one of the things that bothers him about Clemson was that in our new recruiting center in the West End Zone everything was about the Dabo era forward….that there is no mention, or pictures or history about John Heisman, Frank Howard or even
Danny FordDanny FordFormer Head CoachView Full Profile
. That Dabo has made the whole recruiting center about him and his history here at Clemson. I, of course, disagreed and told him that there was no way that could happen at Clemson. But, even though I am alumni and attend all home games, I have never seen the inside of the WEZ. Being a guy who has probably seen every brick inside the building, please help me reinforce by argument and tell me I am correct.

Thanks for any help you can give me…..

Go Tigers

Jim

Jim,

This will be addressed with the new facilities planned. Clemson will build a new football building and a new museum but they will be two different buildings. Recruiting will be about part of the new football building. The museum will be important to fans but the prospects care more about Sammy Watkins and C.J. Spiller and less about Frank Howard. The plan will to satisfy both fans and prospects and their two different interests.

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